Surrender
by Artemis Zephyr
Summary: Jou is being abused. Refusing help, he crawls deeper within himself. Someone will have to save him, and risk their friendship with him to do so. But just how far will they have to go before Jou 'surrenders'? [Bakura/Ryou/Jou Yaoi].
1. Hurting On The Inside

Umm…just a couple of warnings and general information that I want to issue on my part. I like to keep my readers informed. ^_^

Warning: This is going to be yaoi. Alright? If you have a problem with that you need to leave now and not badger me with what a horrible person I am for doing this. I know I'm evil. I've learned to live with it. So should you. O.o

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Chapter One: Hurting on the Inside

Jou knew that a bruise was going to be evident on his back from where his father had thrown him into the wall…again.

God, he should have known. He should have known better than to just hang around home. Especially on a Friday night. But he had had homework to do, and he knew that he would have been distracted. And he needed to study. He just hadn't counted on his father being that drunk…or that violent.

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His father had come home, yet again, in a drunken stupor, and Jou just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"What are you staring, boy!?" The older man slurred at his son, who was doing some homework in front of the TV.

Jou made sure to turn his head slightly away. No good would come of him provoking his father now. He was really drunk tonight. And Jou knew that there was a direct correlation between the number of beers his father had and the level of violence he became capable of. In short, the more beers his old man put away the harder he hit him when he felt compelled.

"Nothing, Dad. I…I'm not staring at anything…" Joey looked down at his Chemistry homework. Wishing he had taken Yugi up on his study group offer after school. He hadn't counted on his father getting thrown out of the bars at only 7:00 in the evening.

"The hell you aren't…boy…" His father sneered at him. Even though he was sitting on the couch, Jou could still smell the stale liquor and fresh vomit on his father's breath. His father approached him from behind, and Jou was so caught up in not gaining any attention from his own father, he failed to notice him come up from behind the couch.

"I'm talking to you, boy!" His father yelled as he grabbed a fistful of his hair and viscously yanked his head back.

Somehow as Jou was wrenched over the back of the couch and pummeled by a man twice his size and twice his strength he managed one coherent thought.

'Shit, this is gonna hurt so bad later…'

And it all started…again.

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Jou managed to crawl into the bathroom and shut the door. He grabbed hold of the sink and hoisted himself up so he could look in the mirror. Amazingly his father had gone easy on his face this time. A busted lip and a bruise on his cheek from a mean left hook, of which he hadn't even known his father was capable of.

It was the rest of his body that hurt like a bitch, anyway. He peeled off his shirt and groaned as the bruises that mottled his chest and abdomen. Some looked distinctly like a curled fist while others were just large splotches that graced his lean figure.

Jou didn't even bother to look at his back. He knew it would have what would look like footmarks. It didn't matter anymore. He hadn't come into the bathroom to see what he could already feel.

He wanted to crush the dead feeling in him. He wanted the opposite of the kind of pain his father caused. The pain his father inflicted on him was dull and aching. It lasted for days and left marks that were a reminder that he father had won. Until they finally faded away, only to be reapplied when his father failed to hold his alcohol, again.

The kind of pain he wanted now was sharp and stinging. He wanted to be the one in control. He was the one calling the shots. He knew what he would do. End pain with pain. A final pain. Make it all come crashing down, baby. He was no weakling.

He pulled open an drawer and with drew what he was looking for. A razor blade. The small blade peeking out at him. Promising to make it all better.

Jou sat down and laid the blade against him forearm. Close to the elbow, and pushed firmly until a thin line of crimson could be seen on either side of the blade. White hot pain shot through his arm and caused Jou to suck in a deep, trembling breath.

'This is what it's all about, baby. Pain. Blistering, white-hot pain.'

He watched as he drew the blade across his arm. Parallel to his wrist. Standing up and moving to the sink Jou allowed the blood to run in rivets down his arm and into the wash basin. The crimson droplets standing out against the tarnished porcelain…

'What the HELL are you doing?!'

Jou's head snapped up to look into the mirror. What the Hell was he doing? This wasn't him. If he resorted to suicide, his father won. He would have surrendered to him. And Katsuya Jounouchi surrendered to no one.

Jou looked at the blood running down his arm and felt the sharp pain in his chest as it constricted. 'I won't do this. This is not me. I don't pull shit like this.'

Cleaning off the blood and rinsing off the sink. Jou pulled off the rest of his clothes, slowly so as not to aggravate the already ugly bruises forming. He drew a bath as hot as he could stand it. And sat down slowly, hissing slightly in pain as his body relaxed somewhat. But only a little.

'You don't put your guard down. Not here.'

Looking up at the door Joey made sure that it was locked and the drew his knees to his body, laying his head on his knees. He wrapped his arms around his legs and just let the hot water numb his body. Mentally preparing some reasons to the inevitable questions that would come from his friends tomorrow…

He let out one pathetic sob. Only one though. He wouldn't allow anymore. He had to be strong. He had to move forward and away from tonight. No one could break him. No one.

But for how much longer could he manage on his own?

To Be Continued…

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Sorry for such a short chapter. But this is the first chapter. So I had to leave it open for a number of directions. You know?

This was just a stage setter anyway.

I have about seven chapters of this on my computer and I will slowly be posting them while looking for inevitable spelling and grammatical errors. I'll try to have the next post up in a few days.

~Artemis


	2. Crawling Under My Skin

No warning or anything need to be issued. Just a bit of language thus far. I tried to clean this chapter up. I was not originally pleased with the characterization of Bakura and Honda, so I tried to rework them into somewhat believable people according to the show.

Chapter Two: Crawling Under My Skin

A face. A face in the darkness. No voice, no sounds, just breathing right by his ear. Causing all the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Just breathing. Calm even breaths. Controlled breaths. Control…He had no control. The breath started to chuckle. Evilly. He had lost control. No one could help him now.

Jou woke up. A glance at the digital clock by his bedside proclaimed the ungodly hour to be 2:30 in the morning. 'Dear god…'

Groaning he rolled over only to yelp at the unexpected pain that shot through his body. 'Oh yeah, my father kicked my ass, again. I almost forgot. Silly me…' He chastised himself sarcastically.

Jou gingerly got back on the bed and tried to fall back asleep.

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Jou awoke the next morning to the dull pain that seemed to be an inseparable part of his body now. He walked out into the kitchen and couldn't help but cast a disgusted look at his father who was now fast asleep on the broken lazy-boy in the living room.

'I wish I could just say how much I hate you.'

But Jou had neither the energy nor the will to hate someone. Indifference was so much safer. Caring about his friends from afar. Being willing to take a hit for any of them. He knew he would. But would he ever ask for their help?

'Ha. Not fucking likely…'

He went back into his room after quietly gathering his strewn chemistry homework from the floor. Now he really had to get this done. It wouldn't do him any good if he flunked out of school, would it?

'Damn, I only have a little time left before school starts. I got to go eat something…'

Jou walked back into the kitchen and searched through the fridge for something edible. Not being able to recall the last time his father went out for groceries…well, actually not even remembering the last time they had had enough money for groceries.

Jou went upstairs and threw on his school uniform, being extra careful to be gentle with the bruises that littered his back and abdomen.

Changing the bandage on his arm was a pain. He had cut deeper than he thought and it was still seeping blood quite a bit. He vowed to keep his jacket on all day, lest someone noticed the bulge of the bandage under his shirtsleeve. 

Grabbing his backpack and unfinished Chemistry homework, Jou rushed out the door and to the schoolyard. He couldn't afford to be late. It seemed as though he couldn't afford much anything anymore.

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"Hello Jou." Ryou as he walked along side his frowning friend. "You look so up-Oh my…What happened to your face?" Ryou said tentatively turning Jou's chin towards him to examine the bruise.

"Nothing, you know? I'm just being me again. Walking into walls, and whatnot." Jou said not meeting Ryou's questioning gaze. God, he was such a bad liar.

"Jou, please don't lie to me…What happened? Who did this to you?" Ryou said trying to get Jou to look him in the eyes. As the blonde tried to pull away again, the white-haired boy clamped a hand on his forearm. Jou reeled back and away from the touch as though he had been burned. He had forgotten about the bandage. Ryou turned a questioning glance to the blonde, what had happened to his arm? "What—"

"Ryou!" Jou yelled. When the shorter boy flinched he added more softly. "Please…Just leave it alone. It's nothing I can't handle okay?" Jou almost whispered. Removing his arm from his friend's grasp.

Ryou watched as Jou stormed off and couldn't help but need to open his soul link for a moment.

/Yami…/

He mind was only met with static. His other hadn't even bothered to construct a mental wall for him to run into; rather a vast expanse of what felt like a burning drone of noise.

/Yami…? /

//What do you want? // His other's voice was a delicate cross between temperamental and down right bored.

/It's Jou, he…/

//Who the hell cares? // Bakura's voice was spoken in such a way that it conveyed absolute indifference to the situation.

/So you were listening? /Ryou immediately felt his mind slam into a mental barrier that had been thrown up between his other and himself. His mind reeled for a moment before he regained his bearings. His head hurt terribly now…and he was sure that Bakura would be pleased to know that.

The rest of the day Ryou was, to say the least, agitated. Any class that he had with Jou he couldn't help but stare at the blonde boy. Jou had been quiet for the whole day, and this was even causing his teachers to think that something was up. He was never quiet this long…

It was math. The period right before lunch and Ryou found himself staring at the him again. Jou was a seat in front of him and to his right. He was looking at his slightly swollen lip and thought it was kind of cute how it sort of forced a pout to be on the blonde's normally smiling face.

And the dark bruise on his cheek was equally exciting. It was so different from a black eye. It gave Jou an abused look and all Ryou could think about was reaching out and touching it with his hand. Trying to soothe the inevitable pain that it was surely causing the blonde.

//He is weak, and you are weaker for concerning yourself. // Bakura stated.

/Yami! You startled me. /

Ryou's Yami chose to simply state on last thing.

//Leave him be Ryou. I'm warning you. //

Ryou sighed. This was going to be such a long period.

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"Jou, come sit over here for lunch." Ryou said quietly as he led the blonde away from the rest of their usual group.

"Why are we eating over here?" Jou asked, getting suspicious.

"I had a distinct feeling that you didn't feel like talking to anyone else. And I won't talk unless you want me to…" Ryou said cryptically as he sat down on the grass with his lunch.

'God, he reads you like an open book, Jou…'

"I guess that would be okay." Jou said. 'Stop it! You want to let him get close? You want him to get hurt, too? What kind of a friend are you?' 

"Well, don't think I want to do no talking, alright? Cause I don't." Jou snapped. Ryou looked at him with thoughtful eyes and gave a half-smile.

"That's fine with me, Jou." The two boys ate their lunches in silence, until a voice brought both of them out of their quiet reveries.

"Hey Jou!" Jou's back was turned to the approaching brunette and Ryou couldn't help but smile at the way he rolled his eyes when he heard his voice. Honda thinking that Jou was just ignoring him tackled his friend from behind and pinned him to the ground.

Jou yelped when Honda rolled him onto his bruised back and promptly scrambled to his feet.

"You okay, man? I didn't think I hit you that hard…turning into a pansy?" Honda asked half-jokingly.

Jou had to bite back a sharp reply. It would convince no one if he walked around all moody. Laughing slightly, he put his hand behind his head and forced himself to stretch and ignore the pain that coursed through his body like fire.

"Yeah, I guess I am. Although, it's not like you scared me or nothing. You couldn't sneak up on a deaf potato…" Jou smirked at his friend and then let his eyes dart over to a concerned looking Ryou.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, man. What happened to your face? Pop off to someone bigger than you, again?" Honda said, clapping Jou hard on the back.

Jou had to bite back another yelp of pain and just grit his teeth. His best friend was slowly beating him to death and not even aware of it. How incredibly ironic. Ryou caught the looks of pain that flashed ever so briefly across Jou's face, and silently swore to himself to find out what had happened to his stubborn friend.

"You know me, Honda…A regular moron when it comes to opening my mouth. I got to go use the restroom you guys. I'll catch you all later." With that Jou turned on his heal and took off for the school building.

"What a moron! Jou left his bag. Now I got to go chase his sorry-ass down…" Honda chuckled mostly to himself.

"I can do it. You go finish your lunch." Ryou offered quietly, accepting the bag from Honda, and starting towards the school.

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Jou walked into the bathroom and went to one of the rather large mirrors. He silently removed his jacket and began to unbutton his shirt, shrugging it off. Laying them along the sink he turned and looked at the bruises that were all over his body.

'How could I let this happen? How could I be so weak? And why the hell does Honda have to hit so damn hard…?'

He held his sides a moment to warm his shivering body in the sterilized, whitewashed room. The whole place had the same feel that one might associate with a hospital room or another equally hygienic place.

Looking around he didn't feel like he could make it through the rest of the day. The idea of ditching crept into his mind, and he scanned the room for windows that would open. Seeing the bars on all of them he quickly squashed the idea of escaping this place of prying eyes and whispered rumors.

He felt trapped.

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Ryou was not too far behind the blonde when he walked into the bathroom, only to stop dead in his tracks. Oblivious to the door slamming shut behind him. There was Jou with his shirt off and to say that he was gorgeous would have been an understatement. Even with the numerous bruises all over his body, he still resembled a golden warrior, fresh from battle.

He barely registered the almost imperceptible shock of emotion he felt from his soul room. The surprise from his other rolled over his body in a short wave before stopping abruptly and then disappearing completely.

Ryou still hadn't calculated a thing to say even as Jou tuned sharply to regard him with surprise and confusion in his eyes.

To Be Continued…

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Hmm…tried to rework some of the conversations into semi-decent dialogues…It didn't turn out *quite* like I had hoped.

~Artemis


	3. Don't Let Me Get Me

No warning about this chapter to my knowledge. I'm still struggling with Bakura's character. I think the tomb raider does have a capacity to love, but I'm not sure as to how I'll ever be able to show it. Keeping him in character may yet kill me. One specification is that yes, the fic did start on Friday, and I had Jou go to school on Saturday, this is because typical Japanese schools (as far as I am aware) have school on Saturday. Sorry about the length of time it's taking me to post. Rewriting this fic has been a bitch on wheels…

  
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Chapter Three: Don't Let Me Get Me

Jou turned to regard the person who had stormed in, but the harsh retort died on his lips as he saw Ryou standing by the door with his backpack in his almost limp grasp. Jou's mouth hung open a few moments as he struggled with something, anything to tell the other boy. But how exactly does one explain bruises all over one's body in a bathroom while being half-naked?

"Oh jeez…Uh, Ryou. Why…What are you doing here? Wait, I know. My backpack, but it really wasn't that import—" Jou was cut off as Ryou slowly walked towards him, letting the backpack slip completely from his hands and landing with a dull thud on the tile floor.

Ryou couldn't form the words to explain what he saw all over the blonde boy. All he knew was that it hurt him. The person who he had a crush on since the Duelist Kingdom was standing in front of him looking like someone had taken to him with a blunt object and pure rage. It hurt him to see Jou like this. And to know that it had probably happened before and that it would happen again unless someone helped him, only made it worse.

/Yami…/

//…//

/Yami please answer me…I need—/

//What. // The harsh lack of emotions in the other's voice shook Ryou. He had thought that he had felt something from his other a moment ago. Perhaps he had been mistaken.

/I…he…it's…just that…/ Ryou was mentally stumbling as he felt a wave of embarrassment for thinking that his other half cared. He knew how the dark spirit felt about feelings. He knew his stance on compassion. Why had he even bothered…?

//You should leave…Now. //

/I…can't… / Ryou knew that he would probably pay later for this disobedience, but he couldn't morally bring himself to leave the situation at rest. And he would risk a number of Bakura's beatings to assist his friend.

Indeed, Jou had stared as he saw Ryou pause mid-step and get a spacey look on his face. 'Why does he want to talk to his Yami about all this? The last thing I need is that un-dead psycho to get involved. Ryou has his own problems to deal with. He doesn't need to be worrying about this.'

//He doesn't need your help, Ryou. Let. It. Be. // Ryou could feel his other's glare through the link, as though they had separated and were physically looking at each other. The emotional link had been closed between them when he had opened the door, and now all Ryou could make out were the verbal inflections in his other's voice.

/I'm helping him no matter what you say!/ Ryou swallowed at his mental outburst. He would pay for this later.

//…//

/Yami…? /

There was a quick flash as the world spun for a moment and when Ryou finally regained his sense of stability he looked and saw his Yami staring at Jou. The blonde's eyes widened in a moment of fear and confusion upon the appearance of Bakura, and Ryou couldn't say that he had expected the arrival of his dark half either. Jou suddenly felt self-conscious as he stood being examined by Bakura who was in turn being looked at oddly by Ryou. Making a quick decision, Jou turned to put his shirt back on.

"Don't." It was only one word, but any word from Bakura was enough to send someone like Jou into a fit of obedient tendencies. "Come here."

Jou turned and took about two hesitant steps towards the pastel-haired boys, but that was all. He turned his head up a little and met Bakura's gaze evenly. Bakura glared, but figured this kind of cooperation was better than none.

Ryou still was too stunned to do anything. He knew who had done this. Jou had sometimes joked about how drunk his father could get. He would sometimes come to school with a busted lip, always saying that it was some punk or some other excuse. For how long had he been hiding it? And how come no one had noticed?

Without consulting his other, Bakura bridged the remaining distance between himself and the blonde. Though Jou stood an inch taller than the other, Bakura held an air that demanded respect. He had a stride that whispered of a dominance that even Jou didn't think he could deny.

Bakura laid fingertips against Jou's chest. Above a smaller bruise, and watched with a glare as Jou tensed and attempted to pull away. Bakura's arm shot out and grabbed Jou's upper arm, silently commanding him to be still. Instead, of having the desired effect, Bakura took notice that Jou's form only tensed more and the boy looked as though he were about to start physically resisting him.

Letting go of his arm, Bakura trailed his fingers across the boy's collarbone moving sensually on purpose. For being as beaten as he appeared Jou certainly had smooth skin. The bruises littered his body, and Bakura licked his lips once he was behind Jou. Facing the boy's back he let his both his hands run from Jou's shoulder blades to the waistband of his pants. Jou's entire body was tensed at the assault of touches.

Bakura leaned his head over Jou's shoulder, breathing on his neck purposely. He knew Jou's skin must be crawling and watching the other boy try not to squirm was amusing. He cast a glance at Ryou who was watching with wide and wary eyes.

"Interesting. It seems we have a mute Seraph on our hands…" Bakura whispered, allowing his lips to ghost against the other's ear.

"Bastard!"

As expected Jou had reeled himself around and threw a fist at the offending spirit with all his strength. Bakura caught the boy's wrist with a wry smile on his face. Cocking his head to the side, he took in the panting and blushing blonde. It seemed he had hit a cord in the hotheaded youth.

"You should think before you swing, Jounouchi. I am not a forgiving person." Bakura chided mockingly. Bakura released Jou's wrist and watched it drop to the blonde's side. At least the boy hadn't tried to hit him again. He would have hated to have had to add to the lovely collection of bruises on his body.

Ryou stepped forward, approaching Jou from behind. He laid his hands on the other's shoulders causing Jou to whip himself around. He had forgotten that Ryou had been there. Casting first a glance at Ryou and another at Bakura, he backed himself away from them both, despising the feeling of being surrounded by people.

Ryou looked to his Yami, who was glaring at Jou. Deciding that he didn't think his other would attempt to interfere anymore, he stepped towards Jou who had backed himself against a wall. The blonde did not dare break eye contact with Bakura. He held his gaze as though he could force the spirit to remain stationary as long as he kept him in sight.

Ryou laid a small hand on Jou's shoulder; the blonde paid him no heed, instead staring at the spirit. Ryou took this distraction as a small grace and scanned his upper torso for any more bruises and cuts. Finding no more than the abnormal amount that he had first seen upon entering, he gently took Jou's wrist in his hand and pulled him forward a few steps.  


He stepped around behind the other boy and ran his hands over the smooth expanse of his muscled back. The skin was marred horribly, as though Jou may have backed out of a fight only to be continued to be beaten upon. The bruises were dark, each one telling a story of a rage or anger that had had enough power to physically manifest itself on a body. Ryou's eyes fell on the bandage around Jou's arm.

"Jou…" Ryou frowned. Another bruise? But on the arm. It was an odd place to find a wound, close to the elbow where a normal blow wouldn't normally fall. Ryou tried to keep his voice from shaking. "Why is your arm bandaged?"

Jou finally broke his gaze with Bakura. He blinked his eyes momentarily as though he were waking from a dream. He hadn't heard the question, so intent had he been on Bakura.

"What?" The confusion was evident on his face.

"why is your arm bandaged?" Ryou calmly repeated. Jou was suddenly aware of how much he regretted stopping last night. Being beaten was a blow to his pride, but having to admit to sinking this low was almost too much. It had been a mistake to stop the razor. What the hell did he tell them?

"Cooking accident—" The lie was quickly broken off by a snort of disgust from Bakura. The demon glared at him, letting him know that he saw through the false tale. 

Ryou's eyes shot up to meet Jou's and Jou visibly paled at the tears there, threatening to spill over. It seemed that Ryou was as good at picking out falsities as his counter part. Jou started to back away again, forcing himself back against the wall, where he knew at least on side was covered from attack.

"Stop." The word was choked, and Jou looked down at Ryou. The pale-haired boy's mouth was shut firmly, and there was anger in the eyes that he had never thought could be there. Why would Ryou take something as trivial as this so seriously?

"Did it hurt too much?" Bakura sneered with a grin. "Is that why you stopped?"

"No…" Jou snapped his head up to glare at Bakura. "I thought that it was stupid and cowardly. Why do you ask?"

Bakura raised an eyebrow at the blonde's response. He had come to the conclusion that Jou was a the kind of person who tempted people. Who physically begged to be broken. His entire existence an unspoken challenge to anyone who dared to try and break him. People like this always learned the hard way. Especially when someone finally did come along and broke them…

Ryou had backed away from Jou, a hand fisted at his waist and another running through his hair. He face was now distraught rather than angry. Jou's heart dropped at the sight of Ryou's face. He hadn't meant to hurt the other boy, unintentionally or otherwise. Granted he shouldn't have been snooping around in his business, but he knew and it was Jou's duty to quell his fears.

Jou took a step forward and placed his two hands on Ryou's shoulder. The other boy looked up at him, unshed tears glistening for a moment before he looked away, blinking them into submission.

"It won't happen again, Ryou. I promise. Call it a momentary lapse into insanity," Jou swallowed as he remembered what a lapse of insanity it had been. "…If you will."

A sharp, bitter snicker made it's way to the other two. Bakura watched the two with a smirk etched deeply into his face. He didn't like Jou's hands being on his other, but he was willing to deal with it only because the blonde looked even less intimidating than Ryou usually did. Ryou turned and cast a fearful glance at his darker half as though he expected to be punished right now for his insubordination

Bakura merely smiled and continued watching Ryou from afar. He really had no idea how erotic it was to watch him touch someone the way he did. And he could tell that Jou was practically melting under that experienced touch. This also didn't sit well with him…

Ryou slowly walked around to Jou's back and brushed his hands along his shoulder blades loving the way the blonde was slowly relaxing under his touches. Only his Yami knew of his silent crush on the blonde, though why his other kept the secret for him he couldn't guess. He wanted so badly to help his friend. Ryou's hands continued to wander across the smooth expanse of the other's more muscular body, wincing as he saw more and more bruises. "This isn't right, Jou. This shouldn't happen…to anyone. We need to talk to—"

"We?" Jou exclaimed turning towards the room's other two inhabitants. "There is no 'we', Ryou. I'm grateful for your concern, but this is my problem, and the only reason you know about it is because of a chance encounter in this bathroom…No, there is definitely no 'we'."

Ryou's eyes flashed a moment. He had not defied his other only to have his offer thrown back in his face. Jou needed his help. He was going to get his help.

"Stop it. You're acting like a child, Jou. This is wrong and you know it. I'm here to help, and I'm going to do just that." Ryou tried to look firm, but in the end he went from glaring to a pleading look.

"The HELL I am! Look the only reason I let you examine me was because…because…I don't know why! But I can handle this. And no one, especially not this psycho," Jou said pointing an accusing finger at Bakura, " Is getting involved!"

With that Jou turned and grabbed his clothes, hastily putting them on. With on last glare behind him he walked out of the bathroom knowing full well that Bakura couldn't exactly follow him.

Ryou and Bakura watched, as the bathroom door slammed shut. Bakura was clenching and unclenching his hands. Breathing deeply, but it all didn't seem to be working.

"I'll be the one who kills him…" Bakura growled in a deadly manner as he started towards the door.

Ryou had anticipated his Yami's anger and quickly grabbed a wrist to stop his darker one from exposing himself in the school. Ryou instantly regretted stopping his other as his anger was simply transferred to him.

"And you…" Bakura's voice trailed off a moment. "Tell me where exactly you thought it was a good idea to completely disobey me?" His eyes were cold and emotionless, and Ryou flinched away, only to find that it was Bakura who now held him in place and not the other way around.

"He…I thought…he needed me!" Ryou exclaimed trying to back away from his furious other. "And I…I thought I felt something from you…like you wanted to help—"

A sharp slap found its way across Ryou's face, leaving a red splotch on the otherwise unflawed skin. Grabbing his cheek Ryou pulled against the hold his other still retained on his wrist.

"I do not owe you an explanation." Bakura said moving towards his other tilting Ryou's head to look at him. "I never owe you an explanation."

Ryou nodded furiously, while trying to back away.

"I'm sorry…sorry…I—"

"Stop whimpering. You will let this situation rest now, won't you?" Bakura accented the question with a sharp squeeze of his hand around his other's wrist.

Ryou nodded again, swallowing thickly and still holding his cheek in pain.

"Yes, I'll leave it alone."

"Good."

To Be Continued…

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Ah…Bakura finally came out somewhat IC. Sorta. Anyway, Ryou has quite a full plate right about now. What with his grouchy Yami and a stubborn Jou…Hmm. Well, the next chapter still needs some serious editing, but I'm already starting on it, and I still maintain that this WILL become a Bakura/Ryou/Jou (consensual of course). It's just going to take a lot of work.

~Artemis 


	4. Pulling Beneath The Surface

Heh heh heh. Sorry for the long wait. This chapter took a bit of time to post, what with the holidays and all. Well, it went through a massive plot reroute so be aware of that. Um…no warnings to my knowledge, just a little language. Nothing too big. A lot of talk about church and how it all works into the plot. This is referring to the 'Seraph' comment in the last chapter. This chapter explains (well tries to) how that all worked. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Pulling Beneath The Surface

Jou walked up the steps to the front of his house. He was so angry with himself. 'How could you let yourself be found out? Why do they care anyway? Well, why does Ryou care actually? It's not like it's a big deal or anything, and I can handle myself.'

The inside of his house was a total mess. Going up the stairs, into his room he proceeded to dump his backpack on his bed and change out of his school uniform jacket and pants, choosing to wear the shirt and to throw on a pair of pants. Once Jou decided that it was time to put his efforts into straightening up the house he went downstairs. The house always needed cleaning.

His father was nowhere to be seen. Probably at work. Amazingly no one else knew of his father's violent tendencies towards his son. He always went to work and he always went to the bar. He was just your average working-class guy. 'With one hell of a punch.' Jou mused.

He spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning and straightening up the house. It was Saturday and he could sleep in tomorrow and do his homework later. Maybe even catch a movie with Honda or something. 'If he promises not to tackle me, the idiot.' Jou thought as he was again reminded of the pain in his body when he moved the couch back into position from where his father had knocked it over in a fit of rage.

The rest of the afternoon seemed to creep by…

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Ryou's afternoon was spent in a much lazier fashion. His other half had decided to remain in the ring since the chance encounter in the bathroom. Bakura had blocked him off again, though Ryou didn't mind. He had some of his own thoughts and feelings to sort through. Like what he had felt for Jou today. What exactly had possessed him into defying his other? And why had Bakura left him alone afterwards? He barely considered the slap he'd received as any form of punishment…What exactly was going on?

He _had_ felt something from his other. What it had been, he couldn't be sure as his other had snapped off the connection too fast. But there had been _something,_ Ryou was sure of it. Sighing Ryou glared at his Chemistry.

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Bakura paced in his soul room furiously. The room was reminiscent of a time long past, the walls were stone, and the lighting was with candles. It was chilly, as he cared nothing for physical comfort at the moment.

A meager piece of furniture found its way into the demon's path and was quickly picked up and flung against a nearby wall where the old wood shattered on impact. Bakura stood panting and glaring at the decimated pieces trying to haul his anger back into place. He was livid with Ryou. He called the shots, not his undersized, weak other. Just who did the little one think he was?!

The dark spirit turned resuming his stalking. Emotions had bubbled to the surface in that bathroom…emotions that he had long since thought he'd crushed. Another piece of furniture found itself smashed against the unyielding wall. He was not susceptible to such feelings as these. Humans, especially the mortals of this time, were a weak and ignorant species, barely worth the effort to deal with. Ryou being a perfect example of this.

How many times had he tried to mold the boy into something useful? Tried to remake him into something better and of worth? And the boy fought him! Fought him with morality and innocence. Of all the things to hold on to, his other cleaved to his weaknesses claiming them to be virtues.

Bakura sighed deeply kicking a splintered piece of wood away from his foot. He felt his anger leave him, looking around he saw that he had decimated nearly every piece of furniture in the small room. Not that its dank appearance changed any with the destroyed furnishings.

Laying on the bed, Bakura placed his hands behind his head. Jou was an interesting human image to say the least. The boy was defiant, a trait that Bakura found promising and hindering. He refused his other's help, which was a good idea from Bakura's point of view, because he doubted his other would have been of any assistance…

Surely Ryou had something to offer him…?

Otherwise he would not have tolerated the other's insolence and blubbering attempts and failures for so long. Ryou must provide him with something other than just his existence, lest he would have caused the other infinite amount of pain by now. Bakura hit Ryou; of this there was no doubt. But he never beat his other to the point of…well…to the point where he resembled what Jou had looked like.

Bakura rolled over, affording himself a more comfortable position on the bed for a moment. What was going on with him? These emotions…these feelings, they made him weak. And being weak was not something that he could handle right now. A life as harsh as his had been afforded no one the liberty of being weak. You either adapted or you perished. Learned to outsmart the enemy or be caught.

Bakura's mind wandered back to the blonde youth. How his body, though abused, had been muscled, sleek, and lean. How he had resisted both his and Ryou's advances and flat out told them to get the Hell away from him.

There was something in that to be admired.

Not that Bakura would voice the fact that the pretty little creature had earned some nuance of his respect, no this would never be uttered, but somewhere in his mind, he saw something in Jou that was appealing besides his body.

Growling Bakura rolled over and mulled the situation over and over in his head. This was inane. Completely and utterly insipid, stupid, ludicrous…all the adjectives in the world could not accurately describe the idiocy of his situation.

__

"Bastard!"

Bakura smiled at the memory of the anger on the blonde's face at his words. He had sifted through Ryou's memories of the boy all through lunch while the two had talked, or rather not talked. He had come across a conversation between the two of them while they were walking home from school after a tutoring session in the library. Ryou had been partnered with Jou on the subject of math, much to Ryou's excitement.

__

"Look, Jounouchi-kun! A church. I pass by it everyday on the way to school. It's amazing isn't it?"

Ryou was referring to the sounds of the choir floating out a few of the opened windows. The white-haired boy listened a few moments, content in the music. Ryou loved choirs, and had taken to listening to the one at school whenever he got the chance.

Jou looked at the church stopping. The smile disappeared from his face and he just watched the building for a moment looking wary, as though the piece of architecture could come to life and attack them both.

"I don't care much for churches, Ryou." His voice was soft, unusual for the loudmouth.

Ryou advanced slowly and stood by his side. He looked first at the church then at Jou, and back again.

"Why not?" The question was softer than the statement, and was meant only to convey concern over interest. He wanted to appear to want know what was bothering Jou not why it was bothering him. He cared, and the blonde's sudden apprehension made him feel at odds.

"My mother went…goes…to church I think. Well, she used to. One of the reasons she stayed with Dad for so long. She thought that it was part of 'God's Plan'." The last part was spoken with a twinge of bitterness. "She always talked about angels. Cherubs, archangels, seraphs, seraphim, guardian angels…she could talk forever about them. I hate church."

Ryou was a bit taken back by the last statement. Hate church? It was a theory. A thought system that people used for hope and guidance. Why would something that presented such strength in humanity upset Jou? Jou lived to see people strive. Especially by looking inside of themselves. He was one of the few people who he knew who genuinely cared when other people succeeded. He was always the first to congratulate, always the first to offer praise.

"Why…? Church gives people hope, Jounouchi-kun, it—"

"False hope. My mother would have left my father much sooner if it hadn't been for 'God'." Jou sneered out the last word with contempt. "She would have saved Shizuka so much earlier if she had just left."

Ryou reached out his hand and let it rest on Jou's shoulder. The blonde tensed at the touch and almost pulled away. Almost.

Jou turned to regard Ryou with a smile. The huge goofy one he wore whenever Ryou suspected that he had gotten too close to something. Something very important.

"But that's not important. Shizuka is fine. Mom is fine. Even though her and me don't get along all that well. Her and my sister are okay, and that's all that matters, right?" Jou said, closing the subject. Before Ryou could form a reply Jou pulled away and began to walk down the street with the smile on his face. Ryou felt his hand drop from its perch and watched the other for a moment, before taking off to follow the other boy.

Bakura smiled. It had only been a simple task of taking what he knew of Christian Philosophy to figure out what 'Angel' Jou could most identify with. It had been a cruel thing to say, and Bakura had relished the look of hatred on the boy's face when he had whispered it in his ear.

He had gotten under his skin. Jou had known instantly. Who else would have known of his hatred of such silly things as angels? Who would have known the history? The stupid blonde probably didn't even remember the conversation that he had with his other.

Bakura grinned to himself, loving the feeling of triumph. He had wormed his way into the boy's skull and was just beginning to make himself comfortable.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jou lay on his bed in his room. Sleep alluded him again. Looking at his clock he read the numbers 11:34a.m. God he hated it here. His father hadn't come home yet, and for that Jou was thankful. His body stilled screamed at him for last night's beating.

Jou had spent the better part of an hour chastising himself, for letting Ryou and Bakura see him. He also chastised himself for loving the feel of Ryou's hands all over his body, and the thought again aroused him. Wondering what Ryou's hands would feel like caressing his body. What it would be like to be touched with love and not hate. His odd attraction to Ryou had began simple enough. Tutoring after school, sitting together at lunch with their mutual friends. Ryou was always there. Always polite and forever nice to everyone. But most of all, he had the most non-threatening nature Jou had ever seen in a person. Quiet, quizzical, and ever thinking about something. Never a harsh word, never a rude comment. Perhaps this was the basis of his attraction…

Attraction…?! Jou sat straight up. He was NOT attracted to Ryou. He wasn't. Cared for, liked as a friend, but not attracted. Never attracted. Had his father beating him all this time eventually turned him onto liking the same sex? Jou glared at the thought. He was not gay. He wasn't. What did it matter anyway…it's not like Ryou swung that way. Even if he did ask him out for coffee or whatever he would never accept. And he would never ask! Why was he thinking about this?!

Ryou was Ryou for God sakes. He was another guy, a beautiful, smart, polite guy, but a guy! Who had touched him…in the bathroom. Ran his hands over his body, caressing his body and calming him while his dark half had watched.

Bakura.

Jou felt anger and lust burn through his body. The dark spirit was just as beautiful as Ryou, but as different as the opposite side of a coin. Strong, cunning, and an evil bastard all around. God he hated him…

Hated how his hands had felt, how he had held him still, how he had _liked _it…

Jou hissed at the thoughts and rolled over onto his stomach. He hated them. He hated them both. He wanted Ryou to stay away from him and he wanted Bakura to fall off the edge of the Earth. Where did they get off, anyway? He hadn't asked for their help.

__

"Interesting. It seems we have a mute Seraph on our hands…" 

Jou remembered the anger that had coursed through his system at the insult. He knew what it meant, and he wasn't happy about. He knew…he knew the moment he heard the words leave the other's mouth. They were like a spur. Jou was trigger happy, but not stupid. Socking a dark spirit was not high on his 'Good Ideas' list. But…how had he…how could he possibly have…

A Seraph. Why….why…why…More importantly how had he known? His mother was Catholic. Ever since their fight he had stopped going to church. Not that he had time for it anymore anyhow. But he had gone for a few years even after the separation. It was a bit of a comfort to him, like being able to touch the other half of his family.

His mother believed in angels.

A Seraph was always drawn red. Red wings, red sword, red halo, always surrounded by red light…They weren't like other angels. They always had at least two sets of wings and the ones depicted in Revelations had six. Red for fire. Fire was strength. Seraphim were said to have the highest rank an angel could ever attain. They sat beside God and praised him.

There was no such thing as a mute Seraph. That meant that it was damaged. Angels can't be broken or nonfunctioning. They were perfect beings that symbolized something beautiful and perfect. Angels weren't damaged goods.

But he was.

Jou wanted scream. Fire…his cards were almost all fire-based. Catholicism…his mother. How had Bakura known how to hurt him so badly? The way that Bakura had hissed the words…had known. Was he that transparent?

Getting up from his bed, Jou wandered downstairs in search for more answers. He had remembered what he could from church, but he wanted to see again. He wanted to remember.

Jou took a seat on the couch looking through an old leather-bound Bible his mother had left behind and that his father hadn't torn apart. There were a few pictures, all with faded ink. He had found the only picture in Revelations. There was an angel engaged in a battle with a demon. The demon was disfigured; its limbs were out of proportion to its body, covered in sores and wounds, dark, and hideous. The angel had six sets of wings, all shining crimson. A sword in hand and the blood of the minions of Hell splattered on its garb. The eyes were sockets where light sprang forth and its mouth was twisted into a grimace of pain from where the demon had stabbed it through the breast.

"Falling Angel" the caption read.

Jou slammed the book shut and stared at the ceiling for a while, allowing his breathing to eventually slow and his heart to stop its erratic pounding. He hated God. He hated church. And he hated Bakura for knowing it.

The door swung open and banged harshly against the wall, and a tall figure stumbled into the living room. The figure turned to regard him with a confused expression on its face, as though it couldn't understand why someone was sitting on its couch. The smile turned into a sick grin as the figure realized it was his son.

His father was home.

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Bakura opened his eyes. He had been napping in his soul room. His other was finishing up the subject he referred to as chemistry. It was an odd subject in Bakura's opinion; then again he never had care for the sciences…

Bakura had finally decided on a use for Jou. Jou could help him. The blonde was on good terms with the pharaoh and his little counter part. He was the little one's best friend…in theory. The two had bonded, but lately the discovery of Jou's home life had led him to distance himself from the usual group of friends. Ryou hadn't even been able to get him to open up. Jou could be a smart boy. Perhaps a proposition…an inviting one might turn the other to helping him. If he could persuade…no, seduce the blonde into helping him attain the Millenium Puzzle than his life would be that much easier. Not to mention he would have a certain little duelist to amuse him for a period of time.

He removed himself from his room and walked to his other's door. He pulled it open, meeting none of the resistance that he would have encountered had it been his own door. His other sat at a table scribbling down notes, a mirror to what he was doing outside. He was oblivious to Bakura's presence in his side of their mind as he usually was whenever he was in control of their body.

He walked past him and searched his other's mind for something on Jou…

Nothing…how could there be nothing? He searched again, walking through the brightly lit corridors of his other's mind. The entire place was designed in the fashion of a…library. Bakura glared at it. His other was the 'scholarly' type; more interested in books than actual living. Everything looked so lovely on paper to his lighter half…

Jounouchi Katsuya.

Of course it would be under the blonde's full name. How completely inane.

He flipped through the mental 'book' on what Ryou knew about Jou. It was quite a bit thicker than what he had expected from the boy. Ryou _had_ taken a shine to the other.

Finding Jou's address, Bakura quickly wandered back to where his light was engaged in his studies. Grabbing him and covering his mouth with his hand and using his free arm to haul the other out of the chair, Bakura threw him into a smaller compartment in Ryou's side of their soul.

It hadn't even taken him a full minute. Bakura gained possession of the body and left the house.

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"I thought I told you to bring up those grades! I don't need to be called in the middle of the day to hear that my stupid kid can't pass his classes." The older man paused taking another swallow from the bear he still held in his hand. "Sides' I already know yer stupid…"

Jou clamped his mouth shut. He wasn't stupid. He wasn't.

"I'm trying to bring it up, Dad…"

"Don't you 'Dad' me! I ain't the father of some half-wit idiot who can't pass his grade!" His father slurred through hazy vision as he stumbled toward his chair. Jou bit back a reply about his father and his dead-end job, and the crap for money he brought home to support them, but thought better of it. No use provoking a drunk man.

"I'll bring it up."

"The Hell ya will, boy! Why don't you just drop out an' try an' get a job as a waiter or somethin'…" his father laughed at what he thought had been funny and Jou glared. His own temper was rising. "That's all yer good fer anyway…That and maybe nothing…heh…good fer nothing…"

"I am not good for nothing." Jou said clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides.

The other man paused for a moment regarding his son. His eyes were hazed over from the drinking and he didn't look completely with reality at the moment.

"You back-talking me?"

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Bakura found the house easy enough. It was dark and the lights in the house all seemed to be out, except for a faint blue glow coming from a lower window. Perhaps the blonde was watching that thing that Ryou and his friends referred to as a 'TV'.

The front door opened easily under his mastery of lock picking and he crept silently into the house. Spotting the staircase, Bakura entered the living room and saw a man snoring in front of the glowing box. His father? The man was large, definitely over six-feet tall, solid build, and looked to be drunk out of his mind.

Shrugging more to himself than to his passed-out audience Bakura strode up the stair, making no noise at all. Bakura walked down the narrow hallway, noting with distaste, the not so clean aspects of Jou's home. He came to an open door and peered in. Empty.

Only one other door was in the hallway that could lead to a bedroom, as the other doorway he saw opened up into a rather small bathroom. Turning the handle, Bakura opened the door and stepped silently into Jou's bedroom.

To Be Continued…

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This chapter would have gone a bit further into the plot, but it was getting insanely long and I had to wrap it up lest I just continue writing and end up with the entire fic on one chapter. ^.~ This chapter took quite a bit of time for a few reasons: Finals, MASSIVE Rewrite, and uh…other stuff! Yes, yes. Other stuff. ^.^ 

Anyway, enjoy, and I will post Chapter five as soon as I can.

Author's Note: Please excuse any spelling or grammar errors. I read through this installment a few times and I think I caught most of the errors, but one can never be too sure. And both of my Betas seem to have disappeared off the face of the Earth.

~Artemis


	5. Wake To A New Darkness

As I said, I have seven chapters of this story actually written from a former posting. Those of you who are rereading this story know that it has strayed quite a bit from the first plot but not entirely. When I rewrite each chapter I try to go back to the first one and fill in serious plot holes or clean up characterizations. I was unable to find the Original Chapter 5. Oops. I remember the gist of it, so we should be okay…but yeah…hold on to your seats.

Warnings: Language and mild citrus.

Chapter Five: Wake To A New Darkness

Jou's room was completely devoid of light. Bakura could boast good night vision from years of practice in tombs, but this? This was ridiculous. He stifled a wince as his shin came in harsh contact with a dresser side and continued on into the room. He walked slowly to the bed where he assumed the boy would be, but never made it.

Bakura, instead, found himself with his face mere inches from the floor holding himself up on his outstretched arms. His feet had tripped, no, made contact with something that resulted in non-balance (Bakura did not trip) and he had had to react quickly to prevent a bruised face. Stepping over whatever the hell it was, Bakura continued towards the bed and reached a hand out into…

Nothingness.

Where the hell was that boy?! Annoyed, Bakura turned on the small lamp located next to the bed. Light rolled into the dank little room and he was surprised to find his conquest lying on the floor. The very thing he had tripped over. Stooping down, Bakura rather indelicately flipped the blonde over and regarded him.

New, fresh bruises littered his body, or what he could see anyway. A cut lip, a smaller bruise on the cheekbone, all new. Very very new. A frown graced his delicate features as he weighed the gravity of the situation. Judging by the order or rather disorder of the room the blonde hadn't been attacked here. Everything was just…messy.

A small choked noise drew his attention back to the unconscious Jou who was still lying on the floor in an unceremonious heap. Bakura gazed down at the other boy, when suddenly he sucked in a sharp breath as his light's thoughts burst through their connection. He had left it wide open once he thought he had securely locked Ryou in his soul room.

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'Jounouchi-kun, Jounouchi-kun! What happened to him?! What did you do to him?!'

Ryou's hysterics quickly became annoying and Bakura focused his thoughts inward, feeling his 'body' form in Ryou's soul room corridors. Ryou rushed at him and Bakura caught him easily even as the smaller boy attempted to attack him. Bakura was surprised to find that he had escaped. He backhanded Ryou sharply, not too hard but enough to stop him in his tracks.

Ryou stilled in his arms, slumping against him, laying his head on his chest. Bakura looked down at his other's hair and frowned. Ryou was definitely too delicate. He felt the level of uneasiness grow at the contact. He brought a hand up to smooth the hair, but stopped himself and shoved his other off of him. Ryou glared at the floor and crossed his arms.

"What did you do to him?" He said quietly, but Bakura still noted the ounce of firmness in it and decided to give him an answer.

"I did nothing to him. His father seems to have beaten him again…I was unable to figure out to what extent because someone had to assume that I was responsible." Ryou studied him for a moment, but Bakura did not look away. His other nodded and disappeared, taking control of the body. Bakura frowned, his other was at least acting like he had a backbone. He concentrated for a second and felt his body float and appeared next to Ryou in the room. His other was kneeling beside the body, pressing his fingers to the blonde's throat.

Ryou sighed and looked at Bakura, his expression unreadable. Bakura glared at him. Ryou looked around the room, searching for something, and bit his lip hard when he reached for a bottle that had rolled under the bed. He read it and looked at the ceiling closing his eyes for a moment.

"He's going to die if I don't do something…" Ryou trailed off, tears welling in his eyes. Bakura noticed the use of 'I' rather than 'we' and was slightly amused by his other's acceptance and assumption that he would not help. Ryou looked from Jou to his other, letting some of his emotions fill his eyes. 

'Such soft eyes…' Bakura thought for a moment.

"We have to call an ambulance."

Bakura had to call up a mental registry from Ryou to figure out what an 'ambulance' was. Mobile Medical Technicians. Interesting. His mind began to work rapid-fire on what had to be done. This would not do. These mobile doctors could not help them.

"And explain to them and his father how we broke into their house and that his father beats him, right?" Bakura drawled out acidly.

Ryou's eyes turned to regard him. They were glazed over with emotion and Bakura was tempted to take the one step needed to put himself within striking distance. The boy needed to wake up from his little fairytale world and concentrate on the problem.

"We could bring him home…"

Bakura felt himself make an internal jerk at the idea. And what? Nurse the attempted-suicide back to health? They should leave the little punk and go home. He would be of no use to Bakura now. Not in a state like this.

"We're leaving."

Ryou's mouth dropped open and he gaped at Bakura like a fish that had been rudely jerked from its bowl. Bakura met his gaze, forcing his other to audibly snap his mouth shut. He turned to leave, expecting Ryou to follow without question.

"Then I'll stay here with him."

Bakura stopped dead in his tracks and turned slowly to regard his other. Ryou was still cradling the blonde to his chest, softly brushing hair out of his face. Bakura took a commanding step forward, knowing that Ryou would cower in the face of his confident nature.

Ryou did not waver.

"I'm not leaving him behind. He will die if I don't do something." There was a conviction in that voice, even though it was incredibly soft. It was like talking to a child at times, and Bakura concluded that it was his other's voice that somehow managed to stay his hands.

__

Please just let me bring him home…please…

Bakura knew Ryou didn't realize his thoughts were flowing freely at the moment, and Bakura took care to guard his own. He had to think. Jou was his key to the puzzle. If he could save the blonde then maybe he could still have a chance at gaining possession of the puzzle…

"Will he live if he comes with us?" Bakura asked, keeping all emotion out of his voice.

Ryou looked at him and then at Jou. He thought a moment. "I-I don't know."

Bakura frowned. He needed more confirmation than that. This was a desperate attempt and if they failed he didn't want to think of what he would have to do to keep Ryou out of trouble. He was unsure as to how the Modern World's justice was, but he was sure that it was more complicated than his own time.

Ryou continued to look at Jou. He let his hand brush over the slightly parted lips and felt the soft, shallow breath. The warm air was like a caress and Ryou was lost for a moment in the small acknowledgement of life.

Bakura's eyes widened at the movement, and he felt something. Ryou had very feminine hands. Long fingers, clean, rounded nails, and smooth skin. Bakura loved his hands, as his own were callused and scarred. He actually couldn't distinguish if he was attracted to his other or if it was jealousy that spurned these interesting side thoughts that popped into his head. Something about Ryou intrigued him, almost in the same manner as Jou's outlandish attitude and behavior.

Ryou continued to run his hands over the other's lips until reality smacked him. He needed to act quickly or Jou would die. It was plain and simple. He gritted his teeth and tried to stand and haul Jou to his feet. He stumbled and ended up falling backwards with Jou's limp body on top of him. The dull thud they made as they landed on the rickety bed snapped Bakura from his thoughts.

He turned sharply and glared at Ryou. "You fool," he said taking two steps forward and grabbing Jou. He turned to regard Ryou with an acidic glare. "Be quiet lest you want us caught."

Ryou let his head fall in a small act of submission and stood. "We have to get those pills out of his system. They're what's making him ill."

Bakura said nothing but felt the weight in his arms a moment. So this was the human that his other, his reincarnated form, had fallen for. Interesting. Bakura hoisted Jou into his arms and almost faltered. The boy was heavy. He grunted, walking out of the room, and listened to his other's soft footsteps behind him. He detoured into the small, dank bathroom and let the blonde slip from his grasp and land on the bathroom floor. Ryou studied his dark half with a hidden interest, trying to watch what happened to Jou.

Bakura glared first at Jou and then at Ryou. "Well?"

Ryou stared back at him, obviously confused. The lighter half of the duo refused to move or speak, thinking that Bakura would only take it as an offense. Bakura sighed deeply. Not the kind that would make one think of sadness, but the sigh that a man would make when he was dealing with complete idiots.

"How do I get the pills out of him?" Bakura asked with a forced calm. "Or should I just cut open his stomach?"

Ryou continued to stare a moment, weighing if his other would actually do that. Not wanting to take that chance, he stepped into the bathroom and kneeled beside the toilet, and pulled Jou into his arms. Bakura watched with interest as his light handled the other human. The boy's hands, though normally feeble and shaking, seemed to come into a world of their own when it came to others. Ryou tilted Jou until he was over the toilet bowl, and then, without hesitation, he stuck a finger gently into the other's mouth.

Ryou tried to approach the situation with all the disinterest as a doctor, but found the situation odd. He pressed his finger back into the others warm mouth, trying to think about what he was doing, rather than what he would like to be doing. Ryou blushed and pressed his finger to the back of Jou's throat, tightening his grip on the blonde when his body shuddered and heaved.

Ryou removed his hand quickly and pushed Jou forward, allowing him to throw up. He tried to keep him upright, as it was dangerous to force an unconscious person to throw up; the vomit could cause asphyxiation. Jou moaned and heaved again, blinking his eyes. Ryou reached up and groped around on the counter for a washcloth. Bakura, who was watching with a look of disgust, handed it to him without thinking.

Ryou gently took the cloth and wiped Jou's mouth, who tried to pull away. The blonde tossed his head this way and that, to avoid the unknown hands that seemed to plague him. His mind couldn't register much, but he knew it wasn't his father.

"Wha—Am I…dead?" Jou slurred out looking at Ryou. His head lolled to the side and he didn't see Bakura, as he was standing directly behind him. Ryou shook his head.

"No, Jounouchi-kun. You're not dead."

Bakura would have inserted a witty little comment, had the blonde not surprised him with his next statement.

"Are you an angel? You look…like an angel…" Jou said with a slight frown marring his otherwise very relaxed features.

Ryou blushed and moved forward to catch Jou, just as he began to sag backwards. Ryou looked at Bakura a moment later, conveying that the job was done. Ryou was surprised that he hadn't felt odd about the ordeal. But Jou's brush with death and Bakura's odd behavior had had him offbeat for a while.

Bakura stooped down and roughly grabbed Jou, hoisting him into his arms again. Jou thrashed blindly as a moan bubbled up from his throat. Bakura grabbed him tighter, pulling the blonde tightly against his chest. Ryou would have commented on how cute the gesture had been if he hadn't thought Bakura would have just killed them both. He watched his other for a moment, interested in how Bakura held the other so tightly. His other was a source of great confusion. His darker half was everything he wanted to be and abhorred. The strength, the power, the confidence, but at what price? Ryou watched as Bakura clenched Jou to himself, until the blonde cried out slightly against him.

"Either he is quiet or I kill him." Bakura announced with complete sincerity, which even then came off as somewhat evil.

Ryou nodded and turned Jou's head to his, speaking comforting words to the other boy. Bakura again, found himself watching Ryou and how he interacted with Jou. It was odd, watching someone who could cower so easily force themselves into a demanding position just to help someone.

"Jounouchi-kun! Jounouchi-kun, don't struggle. We're helping you. Don't cause trouble, please." Ryou said to the other not bothering to lower his voice, and prayed that the feisty blonde would listen even if he was unconscious.

Jou stopped struggling, even though a frown remained firmly in place on his face. He stilled and Bakura raised an almost amused eyebrow and strode confidently past Ryou.

Ryou followed as quietly as he could manage, smiling slightly at his composure. At the top of the stairs Bakura looked and saw that older man was still sleeping soundly downstairs in the living room. He looked at Ryou, and his other stopped, looking untrusting of his darker half. Bakura glared and jerked his head over his shoulder. Ryou sighed slightly and then nodded in understanding, coming forward and walking almost through Bakura before merging back into his dark half.

Bakura slipped out of the house and into the night with Jou in his grasp.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bakura arrived back at Ryou's house in a slower time than he had expected. It had been an interesting experience to say the least, walking with the boy in his arms the entire distance. Fortunately for Jou, he hadn't started to cause trouble. He had rested quietly in the tomb raider's arms, who had made up his mind that should he start again, to simply dump him into the nearest trashcan and be done with the whole thing.

Bakura unceremoniously dumped his 'precious' bundle on the porch and proceeded to search Ryou's pockets for the door key. Once inside, he moved Jou to the upstairs guestroom and again dropped him. Ryou chose this time to break away from his other. Ryou wanted desperately to tell Bakura to be gentler; however, he decided that he had pushed his luck with the spirit more than enough that evening.

Bakura took one last look at Ryou and then Jou before snorting softly and left the room. Ryou noticed his other leave physically rather than just merge again. This was odd. His darker half rarely sought out solace in the physical realm. He usually would lock himself away in the corridors of his soul room that he kept ever so tightly shut.

Jou moaned softly and Ryou refused to think about Bakura again. Not right now. Jou needed him, and his other wanted to be alone. He knelt down alongside the bed and gently brushed away some of the blonde hair that was forever falling in the other's face. An angel? How odd…

Ryou leaned up and rested his elbows on the mattress. He watched as Jou rolled a bit and finally settled on his back, with one arm under the pillow and the other laying across his stomach. Cute, Ryou thought. His eyes softened and he leaned forward until he was nose to nose with the blonde.

Jou was the epitome of what he wanted. Outgoing, social, protective, loyal…the list continued. Bakura and Jou were as different as the moon and sun, and for some reason Ryou couldn't figure out which one scared and/or intrigued him the most. He remembered a few moments ago, that he had been mentally praising qualities in his other, but now he was thinking about Jou. And then he said they were different. He couldn't possibly want, let alone have, both…

Well, there was only one way to find out.

Without giving himself time to back out, Ryou leaned forward and planted a solid but docile kiss on Jou's lips. The blonde responded slightly, with a light shove on his shoulder as he attempted to push him away, but Ryou merely smiled.

"Jounouchi-kun…Are you all right?" Ryou asked, gently placing a hand on the other's shoulder.

Jou jerked awake with a start. Where was he? Who was talking to him? And why did his mouth taste like he'd thrown up?

To Be Continued…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sorry for the incredibly long wait, and the uneventful chapter. Things have been hectic this month and I started a new series, so my hands have been a little tied. Anyway, Chapter Six is on its way, so keep a look out for it.

~Artemis


	6. Anything And Everything You Could Want

Just some warnings for this chapter:

Warning(s): Language (Bakura this time and not Jou, surprise, surprise), Emotional!Ryou, heavy lime in areas. Nothing you wouldn't see in a PG-13 video, except for the fact that it's two guys and is more drawn towards a rated R movie. Ah who cares? I labeled it R, anyway.

Again, sorry for the long wait.

Chapter Six: Anything And Everything You Could Want

Jou's head swam.

__

"Jounouchi-kun…. Are you all right?"

The words floated into his memory like fog. Ryou? Where was he and why was Ryou talking to him? Jou swallowed before opening his eyes. Why did his mouth taste like vomit…and his lips…felt very odd.

He peeked open one eye, thankful to realize that the room was very dark. He could hear Ryou's light breathing and opened the other eye to focus them on concerned ones. Ryou gave him a small half-smile, that Jou didn't bother to return. Where the hell was he?

"Jounouchi-kun…are you all right?" The white-haired boy repeated.

"I-I'm okay, I guess." Jou said, angry that his voice came out a bit slurred. He tried to sit up only to feel a hand on his chest. Both teens froze. Jou felt his heart thump hard against his chest at the unexpected touch. Ryou stopped at the feel of the other boy through the thin material of the shirt.

Ryou quickly withdrew his hand and laid it in his lap. He turned his focus to the floor, afraid to look at the blonde

Jou held back a sigh. Human contact...he didn't like it. The idea that hands on his body could be there for pleasure or concern, rather than pain, was a nice one, but not likely. It still didn't stop him from flinching and hating it.

"I'm sorry I kissed you," Ryou whispered.

Jou blinked, and groaned at the feeling of a headache beginning to spring up. Great, now he was starting to think that Ryou had just admitted to coming on to him.

Ryou turned to him, concern and worry written clearly on his face. "I really am, Jounouchi-kun!"

The voice was whispered, but desperate. Jou's eyes widened. He wasn't kidding.

"I—uh—Ryou, it's okay, I guess. I mean, I wasn't awake or nothing, so you know, no harm no foul?" Jou watched as his words caused Ryou's face to drop. No, no, no, his mind repeated savagely. Ryou did not want him, and he did not want Ryou. Did he? Well, there was at least one question he could answer. "Why did you kiss me?"

Ryou swallowed. It was the inevitable question. He had just wished he would be more prepared when Jou's head had cleared enough for him to ask. He wanted Jou. It was plain and simple. He had a crush on him, wanted to help him, wanted to be a part of his life. Wanted to do all those mushy cliché things that couples did together, like sharing food and making out during movies. It was that simple.

Ryou leaned forward and looked Jou in the eyes.

"Because…I like you." Ryou forced himself to be rigid about what he had set. To look like he meant it rather than to look like he was willing to negotiate it. This was what he felt and he would not deny it. Not this time.

Ryou leaned in the few extra inches he needed and brushed his lips against Jou's. He waited for the other to push him away. And waited, and waited, and waited…

The shove of horror never came, nor the sputtering of indignation. Ryou opened his eyes to find that Jou's were still closed, almost as if he were sleeping again. Ryou pulled back a little and Jou blinked open his eyes to look at him.

Jou swallowed and winced slightly. Ryou raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing.

"Can I have some water? My mouth tastes really gross."

Ryou smiled politely and left the room. He returned a few moments later with the glass. He handed it to Jou, who drank it all very quickly and handed it back to him with a grateful smile.

Ryou placed it on a nearby end table and sat on the edge of the bed with his hands in his lap, looking thoughtful. Jou watched all this while he tried to sort out his own emotions. What was he thinking? What was Ryou thinking? And where the hell was that psychotic other half of his? Bakura was definitely not someone who you wanted out of your sight for any amount of time.

Jou swallowed, thankful that the taste had left, and looked at Ryou. He smiled at the other boy's profile. Ryou had a slightly round and childish face, deep eyes, and expressive lips. He was something to look at. Jou leaned back against the pillows. Everything was still a little disoriented, but he would manage. Right now he had to figure out what he was feeling.

Ryou was wonderful. A good friend, a kind face, a loyal ally. Could he be something more? Jou mentally glared at himself. Why was he acting like a stupid schoolgirl? Did he or did he not like Ryou like that? Yes or no. It was simple.

Yes. Well, no. Well, maybe. Well maybe leaning closer to yes…

God damn it. He needed to think about this. Ryou had been there in the bathroom; Ryou had been there at lunch; Ryou had broken into his house…no, that had probably been Bakura with Ryou in tow. Ten to one it had been Ryou's idea to check on him though.

"You look tired, Jounouchi-kun. I should let you sleep." Ryou said with a sad smile as he got up to leave.

"Wait." Jou said, leaning forward and trying to sit up. "Two things. One, call me Jou. No one calls me Jounouchi, save my mother when she's pissed. Two, don't go…just yet."

Ryou smiled warmly and sat down on the side of the bed.

"What is this, Ryou?"

Ryou was startled by the question. He didn't know, it was just that he…well, he wanted Jou to be all right, and he liked him. And…Ryou's eyes strayed to Jou's arm that was lying on top of the comforter. The white bandage was standing out against the normally tanned skin. Disappointment and anger swelled inside of him almost instantly. In his rush to make sure that Jou was all right he had almost forgotten what had brought them to this point.

Jou did this to himself. After he had promised not to.

Ryou had enough problems with his darker half than having to worry about someone who couldn't face their own life. He had tried to help and Jou had tried to destroy himself anyway. If Jou were ever to succeed…

"I need to go." Ryou said firmly. He didn't want to yell. He didn't even know if he knew how to yell, but Jou was…no. It mattered, his feelings for Jou mattered and that was why he had to leave. They would talk about things later. He had to leave right now.

"What?" Jou said, reaching his hand out to grab the other boy's wrist pulling him gently back onto the bed. "Ryou, what?"

When Ryou didn't answer, Jou bent forward. He had to know. What it would feel like to kiss him of his own will. If there could be anything…

Their lips brushed and after a second Ryou pulled away.

Jou brushed some hair away from his face. "Ryou, tell me. What's up?"

Ryou stood. Enough.

"You! You play this whole thing off like it's no big deal, _Jou._" The last word was emphasized to make it more of an insult than a name. "You don't even care that you get beaten, that you lied to me, or that anyone worries about you!"

Jou shook his head in confusion and looked at the other boy. Ryou _never_ shouted. "What are you talking about?"

"You lied to me, Jou," Ryou said taking a step closer.

"I did not, Ryou. I don't lie," Jou said, feeling his own anger start to creep in.

"This," Ryou said, grabbing Jou's hand with the bandage. "was a promise. A promise you broke, and a lie."

Ryou let the hand drop and left.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Jou sat on the bed and watched the door slam. He remembered. His head hung for a moment. If he had ever had a chance with the white-haired boy it was most likely gone. He knew Ryou cared, and he knew his father beat him. And who the hell was Ryou to act like he didn't!?

Jou glared at the opposite wall and his stomach heaved. He felt the dizziness come over him again. He needed to get some more water, but this was Ryou's house, and he was tired. Not to mention he had no idea where the bathroom was.

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Ryou almost ran down the stairs. He brushed through the living room, not even noticing that Bakura was brooding on the sofa. The dark spirit watched as his other stormed through the room and into the kitchen. He counted.

One…two…three…

__

Crash!

Bakura would have winced at the sound of the dish shattering in the sink if it hadn't amused him. He shook his head. It was an odd habit, but it was something Ryou did. The boy wasn't violent by any means, but he had taken on some of Bakura's habits in the past few months; destructive ones at that. Jou must have done something very interesting to warrant such a reaction from his other.

Bakura got up and walked into the kitchen. He had been thinking about things downstairs. About Ryou and Jou and just how much he had grown accustomed to his other's presence. Useless or not.

He walked up behind Ryou who was staring out the window over the sink holding the shattered pieces of pottery in his hands. Bakura rested his head on the other's shoulder and was amused that Ryou didn't even move.

"So," he whispered in Ryou's ear. "What does he taste like?"

Ryou didn't falter and walked toward the trashcan to dispose of the pieces, shrugging Bakura off. "What makes you think I tasted him?" he said as he roughly wiped the counter down for glass shards.

"Maybe I should just find out for myself," Bakura said, turning away from his other.

Soft hands gripped his forearm and he turned to look at Ryou, but instead felt insistent lips over his own. Bakura took a step back and narrowed his eyes, even as Ryou's body followed his own. This definitely wasn't how Ryou would act. What had happened upstairs with that blonde nitwit anyway?

Bakura swiped his tongue along his other's lips and was surprised when Ryou took a step forward and he felt the table against his back. Ryou nipped at his lips, and Bakura was amused by the sudden show of spine.

He opened his mouth and moaned slightly at the feel of Ryou's hands slipping around his neck, and let his hands lazily rest on the other's waist. He was surprised as Ryou assaulted him with his tongue and pressed him firmly against the table. Nimble fingers tangled in his hair and Bakura allowed himself to enjoy the brief moment.

Ryou's hands slipped from his hair to his waist and he felt himself pushed backwards. Bakura complied and lifted himself onto the table, spreading his legs so that Ryou could stand comfortably between them. Bakura growled low when Ryou rocked against him and his other continued to kiss him.

Bakura opened their link and was almost thrown off by the emotions that poured out of his other's mind.

__

Anger, irrationality, desire…

To Bakura's immense amusement, the desire was not only for Jou, but also for himself. His mind was filled with images of him carrying Jou and Ryou's point of view of their conversation in the bathroom. Ryou wanted them both and couldn't seem to understand why.

__

Confusion…

Ryou pressed on Bakura's chest, pushing his other to the tabletop and let his lips travel down his jawline. Ryou couldn't get over how right this felt. Admitting that he had feelings for his other half was so much easier if he just acted on them. He wanted Bakura, right now, and he didn't care what that meant. He was willing to do anything so long as Jou didn't come walking through his thoughts again.

Bakura watched from his position as Ryou trailed down his chest, undoing the few buttons he left done of the white shirt of their school uniform. He raised an eyebrow at the small noises Ryou made, as his other tasted inch after inch of his skin. His other's show of dominance was a turn on, but he wanted to know more about what had happened between Ryou and Jou.

Bakura growled as Ryou dipped his tongue into his navel and let his hands travel up into his other's hair. His thumbs brushed across the boy's temples but kept moving until the fingers of his hands were interlocked behind Ryou's head. He was plunged into Ryou's mind, and the memories swept past quickly and in an erratic configuration. Bakura held his hand out and let his fingers brush a recent one of the bedroom and Jou. He was suddenly watching it all through Ryou's eyes.

Bakura let the memory play itself out; everything from the first kiss his other gave the unconscious blonde to the slamming of the guestroom door filled his mind. The memory faded out and he realized that Ryou was kissing him again, letting his body rock against Bakura's.

He growled and rocked back sharply, but tapped into their link again.

__

Calm, realization, stunned fear…

Bakura opened his eyes to find himself staring into Ryou's. His other's mouth was hanging open and he looked horrified. Ryou's eyes searched his and Bakura merely looked back at him with an indifferent smirk.

Ryou blinked and pushed himself away and ran out of the room. Bakura sighed. Sometimes life was a real pain, especially when dealing with his conscience-plagued other. The spirit hopped off the table and into the living room, where he found Ryou with his head in his hands.

"Well, that was interesting." Bakura said with a smirk. "I didn't realize you could come on so strong. Heh, I'm impressed, little one."

Ryou didn't move. "You saw what happened. I felt you looking. You saw it all."

Bakura stepped forward and sat in a nearby armchair. "True."

"He lied. He lied, and I still care."

"That can be a problem. You could just kill him and hide the body. No one would be the wiser." Bakura mused, tapping his chin lightly. Jou intrigued him, but that didn't mean he was by any means attached.

Ryou looked up at him, but said nothing. He had grown quite accustomed to his other's dry sense of humor. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

"What are we going to do with him?" he sighed.

"We could always tie him to that dinky little bed and fuck him till he screams our names and then make him our willing sex slave for all eternity," Bakura said with a straight face and then turned to his lighter half. "But it's only a suggestion."

Ryou looked at Bakura, feeling the deepest blush crawl over his cheeks. He then blushed even deeper than that as he pictured making Jou scream his name. Even though he had grown used to his dark half's humor, it didn't mean he could stop the mental images of Jou tied to a bed. He shook his head and stood, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "I should go to bed."

"And what? Finish our little make-out session alone?" Bakura inquired, raising his eyebrow.

Ryou blushed even more as the familiar image of his other on the kitchen table. Breakfast would never be the same. He turned away and made to leave the room. "I shouldn't have done that in the kitchen."

"And we should make love not war. Ha. It's not like I beat you off with a stick, little one." Bakura said, rising and walking towards Ryou. He laid a hand on the other's shoulder and turned him. He looked warmly, or as warmly as he could manage, into Ryou's eyes. They had gone from a light brown to a dark mahogany in the throws of passion, and Bakura gave him a half smirk.

"And besides, who says I didn't like it?" Bakura lowered his head and kissed his other half hungrily. He smiled into as he felt Ryou's hands come up to his shoulders and draw him closer. A moment later he backed away and sat back down on the armchair. "What do you want to do?"

Ryou paled. It was too much right now. Bakura knew just how much he felt for Jou and now he knew how he felt for him too. Then, he marched around like it could all work out. Ryou shivered as another image of the three of them flashed through his mind. Like it would ever work? Jou was just silly enough to annoy Bakura, and Bakura was just psychotic enough to kill Jou. It was too much, way too much. He needed to sleep. Or think. Or maybe both.

"I think I'm going to go to bed."

Bakura rolled his eyes, and Ryou went up the stairs and into his bedroom. Shutting the door softly, he thought he could hear Jou's snoring through the walls, but then maybe it was just his imagination.

To Be Continued…

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Hm…HentaiThoughts!Ryou is fun to write. I think I goofed off with characterization more in this chapter than I normally do…Hm…and I think I may have killed Bakura and made him OoC. Ack…

Outtake One: (The first of many, I'm sure.)

This was an outtake that my Beta convinced me to put in as a side note:

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

"I—uh—Ryou, it's okay, I guess. I mean, I wasn't awake or nothing, so you know, no harm no foul?" Jou watched as his words caused Ryou's face to drop. No, no, no, his mind repeated savagely. Ryou did not want him, and he did not want Ryou. Did he? Well, there was at least one question he could answer. "Why did you kiss me?"

"Because…I want you." When Jou's eyes widened, Ryou thought of a quick way to lighten the situation. "…to want me. I need you to need me. I'd love you to love me!"

Ryou continued, letting his somewhat decent voice remember the chords. Smiling, and trying to appear both sincere and non-threatening. He leaned forward again and brushed his lips along Jou's and finished with a whisper. "I'm begging you to beg me."

/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /

Ah yes, nothing to screw with the mind like writing SexKitten!Ryou…heh, heh, heh. I also maintain that I was severely tired and under the influence of extreme amounts of chocolate chip cookies. Anyway, yes. This gave both my Beta and I a good laugh. Chapter Seven will take quite a while as I am juggling both this and another multi-part fic.

~Artemis


	7. Spirit In The Room

Another long wait, why you people tolerate it, I'll never know.

Warnings: Lime, language, the usual.

Chapter Seven: Spirit In The Room

Bakura sat dejectedly on the couch with little to no interest in the 'shadow box' show he was watching. The spirit's mind wandered to his other sleeping upstairs and to their little house guest as well. Bakura turned off the TV and walked toward the stairs. He paused at the bottom and looked up.

Shaking his head, Bakura cleared his mind of the unimportant details concerning Ryou's actions and Jou's condition. He stood at the top of the landing and then headed towards his other's room. He passed by the guestroom and stopped. Maybe he could pay the blond a little visit. See what was so great about him that Ryou would be so utterly confused, and if he really had any competition.

Bakura opened the door and walked in. Closing the door quietly, he crept over to the bed and stood at the side of it. He looked down at Jou and almost let a smile show. The boy had rolled onto his side and was hugging his knees to his chest. Bakura half expected him to kick a leg out and whimper at any moment.

Though the sight was amusing, Bakura wasn't about to let it last.

"You look like an idiot," the spirit said loudly and with a gruff shove to the boy's shoulder blades.

Jou groaned from the contact with a bruise and rolled onto his back, with an arm shielding his eyes. Bakura waited for an answer for a moment, before realizing that the boy had gone back to sleep. Growling deep in his throat he placed his foot on Jou's ribcage and shoved hard.

Jou yelped and rolled over and off the bed. He groggily looked at Bakura and frowned. 

"What was that for?!"

Bakura smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. Jou glared.

"What do you want, ya freak?"

Bakura raised an eyebrow and sat on the bed.

"What do I want? What if had I come in here to rape you? What would you have done then? I could have been done with it by the time you woke up," he stated flatly.

"Then it wouldn't have mattered," Jou replied with a frown. "Besides, I don't think you're into guys," he continued getting back on the bed, but leaving a good distance between himself and the spirit.

Bakura raised both his eyebrows in a show of amusement. Leaning backward across Jou's lap, the tomb raider asked uncaringly, "And if I were?"

Jou looked at him with wide eyes. "I—I'd think you were l-lying," he stuttered out.

Bakura rolled over so that his hands were on either side of the blond's waist. He pressed their foreheads together and looked into brown eyes. "And if I wasn't? What would you do then, Jounouchi?"

Scream, Jou thought, duh.

"I don't know…" he trailed off. His eyes flickered back and forth between Bakura's eyes and lips. He knew for sure that he liked Ryou, but his Yami? Mr. Psycho? He didn't have a freaking clue.

Bakura smirked and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Jou's. Jou made a small noise of protest and pushed against him, but Bakura was stronger at the moment.

Jou closed his eyes tightly and made a muffled 'mphf!' noise when Bakura grabbed his wrists and held them to his sides. The spirit smiled against his mouth and swept his tongue along his lower lip. Jou kept his mouth shut tightly.

Bakura pulled away looking annoyed. "You are making this harder than it has to be, mortal."

Jou stared wide mouthed for a moment. "**_I'm_ **making this harder than it has to be?! Last time **_I_** checked, being attacked by my friend's psychotic dark half was pretty freakin' weird, okay?!"

Bakura raised an eyebrow, obviously indifferent to the blond's outburst. "So you only think of my other as a 'friend'?"

Jou frowned at the question.

"What do you care what I think of Ryou?"

"Nothing. I was just seeing if you were going to instigate yourself into this as competition," the spirit said, and then leaned forward, close to Jou. "Not that I consider you competition, anyway."

Jou swallowed and shifted on the bed. He didn't like Bakura being so close, especially when he was acting like he knew something Jou didn't. Bakura sensed the other's nervousness and smiled. What could Ryou possibly see in this boy?

Bakura leaned forward again and cupped Jou's head. This time, though, the blond was ready for him. As Bakura pulled him toward him, Jou planted a hand on the demon's chest and pushed.

"Stop," he said firmly.

Bakura stopped. Why, he wasn't sure, but he did. He was nose to nose with the other boy and was staring into amber. Maybe it was the look in those eyes, or maybe it was the fact that Bakura wasn't used to being told no. Either way, he stopped.

Jou stared into Bakura's eyes. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what he wanted. Well, he knew part of what he wanted. He wanted Ryou, but was he ready for a package deal with this…this…whackjob?

His gaze shifted to the spirit's lips. They looked a lot like Ryou's, only harsher. They were a bit thinner, and he couldn't remember a time when he had seen the dark spirit smile. Not even once. It was a smirk or nothing. And the smirk was usually scarier than the nothing.

Bakura snapped back from whatever thoughts had stopped him from moving and pulled Jou forward into another bruising kiss. Jou was too stunned to fight back, and Bakura easily pressed his tongue into the other's mouth. Jou made a small grunt when the spirit kissed him, but was otherwise unable to do much else.

When Bakura finally pulled back for air, he was surprised to find Jou staring at him with a look of terror on his face. 

"What?" he snapped at the blond.

Jou swallowed and narrowed his eyes in an attempt to gain courage. "I told you not to."

Bakura smirked. "I don't listen to weaklings."

"Get off me," Jou whispered.

"And if I don't?" Bakura whispered back, letting the amusement in his voice show.

"I'll make you." Jou said. His voice was hard, with years of practice in not looking scared—this wasn't too hard.

Bakura raised an eyebrow, but leant down and pressed the other boy back onto the bed. Jou winced slightly from a bruise he hadn't remembered receiving, but pushed against the spirit when he came too close. Bakura pulled back and made eye contact for a moment before trying again. Jou simply turned his head and held him back. Bakura growled.

"I can and will hurt you. I don't particularly care either way, but I don't feel the need to hurt you so don't make me."

"But raping is okay, right," Jou said, glaring up at him from the pillow.

"Shut up, mortal." Bakura said, and bent down, this time able to steal a kiss. Jou growled and threw his entire body against Bakura, in an attempt to dissuade him. Bakura laughed against the other's lips and pressed his body down. This was beginning to get interesting. Jou twisted under the other, and felt his body come in contact with something…

Jou's eyes snapped open, and he found himself staring into mahogany brown, as the spirit manhandled him. Bakura was…aroused. And much to Jou's horror, so was he. Slightly. Not so much that he couldn't write it off later…but still.

Jou placed both his hands on Bakura's shoulders and shoved, long enough to roll himself off the bed and onto the floor.

Rolling once, twice, and finally remembering that standing was in fact an option, Jou stood up and looked at Bakura and then the door.

Bakura sighed. "You wouldn't make it. I can move much faster than you."

Jou glared. "Shut up. I could make it."

Bakura raised an eyebrow and sprawled rather cat-like on the bed.

"Oh could you? I'd like to see that."

Jou nodded and then started to move towards the bed, as though he wasn't going, but he suddenly split-stepped and made for the door. Bakura's reaction was instant. He had seen the muscles quiver a moment before they made the actual movement, and had taken according steps.

The end effect was Bakura pinning a rather stunned Jou to the floor about a foot and a half away from the door. Jou groaned, all this body contact was really starting to wear on him. He stared at Bakura for a moment, before growling and letting his head roll to the side and rest on his shoulder.

"You win. Get off," he said looking annoyed.

"I won? What did I win?" Bakura asked next to the other's ear, playing as innocent as someone like him could manage, but still coming off as rather maniacal. 

Jou turned his gaze back to the spirit and narrowed his eyes.. "Nothing. Get off."

Bakura stared at Jou for a moment, and realized that they were so close, if he chose to speak their lips would definitely brush. It was amusing. He stood and laid on the bed, in much the same position from earlier; completely taking all the possible room.

Jou gingerly stood and turned, seeing the spirit had taken his place.

"Come on, man! I want to get some sleep! I'm here aren't I? Isn't that enough?! Do you have to make it hell while I'm here, too?" Jou snapped angrily at Bakura. Now would have been a good time for Jou to run, but he was just too intelligent to run from an undead, clinically insane spirit.

Bakura shrugged and scooted over just enough to barely allow another person enough room on the bed.

"Oh no…Oh no no no no. I am not going anywhere near you and you are not sleeping in my bed!"

Bakura stretched some more and took the space back. "Suit yourself."

Jou glared again. Why him?

He grabbed a stray pillow that had fallen on the floor and marched out of the room. His first impulse was to go into the living room and sleep on the couch, but for some reason he didn't want to be alone right now. Though, that did not mean he wanted to share a bed with a deranged nether-being. Ryou's room was the only option left.

He made his way down the hall a few feet and then cracked open a door experimentally. There was a small twin-sized bed near the center of the left wall, and a rather luminescent head of hair peaked out from under the comforter.

Jou crept into the room and over towards the bed. He had the image of himself crawling into bed with his mother once as a child, and suddenly felt very small where he stood. He climbed onto the side of the bed, and bit his lip when Ryou sighed and rolled over to face away from him.

He laid his pillow down by the other boy's and crawled slowly onto the bed. He decided lying on top of the covers would be the best option and the least likely to disturb the other. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Ryou made a small noise and shifted suddenly, placing the two teens nose to nose.

Jou's eyes widened, but Ryou only let out a soft snore before going back to breathing normal. Jou let himself watch the other boy, feeling the other's presence calm him into relaxing. He slowly smiled and closed his eyes, a few moments later his breaths evened out and he fell asleep.

It was silent in the house when a shadow walked into the room. It made no sound and cast no shadow even when the moonlight tried to touch it. The spirit moved to the side of the bed where two teens slept. He moved a piece of white hair away from his other's boyish face and almost let his hand touch the cheek of the blond, but pulled away.

There was a dull flash of light, and then the shadow was gone.

To Be Continued…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I'd like to think of the past month as a vacation from this fic, but now I'm back and I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do with it. Keep your eyes open for the next few chapters.

Was is just me or did Bakura come off as cute? Maybe I just think psychotic is cute…

~Artemis 


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